


Aloha `oe - Farewell to you

by Demidevil



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Past, Past Lives, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-25
Updated: 2014-09-25
Packaged: 2018-02-18 17:57:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2357036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demidevil/pseuds/Demidevil
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dexter Grif had never had much of a family, his father had left when he was five and his sister was born. He had practically raised her by himself while their mother looked for work. Eventually, she too had abandoned them for the circus when he was seventeen.  This story is about his journey to Blood Gulch.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Aloha `oe - Farewell to you

Dexter Grif doesn't remember his father very well, he was five when Kaikaina was born and his dad left. There were no photos in the house, their mother had thrown them out in a fit of rage since he left her to raise two kids on her own. Grif can remember times being hard, he never had the newest toys, he never had clothes that fit, he was always looking after his little sister while his mum looked for work. She couldn't seem to keep a job for very long and the two kids grew up fending for themselves.

He can remember clutching a sleeping Kai to his chest one night, she was only a toddler and had been coughing something awful all day, her breaths were wheezy gasps between her soft snores. Dexter had held her to him, telling her over and over that she couldn't leave, that he didn't want to be by himself. It had just been a cold, but Dex hadn't known that, he was only seven. That night he had sung her 'Aloha 'oe' under his breath trying to calm down her restless sleep.

"You can't leave me Kai. You're family now, you just gotta get better ok? Things will look up, I promise... I'll look after you.” He had clutched her to him while she slept, tears streaming down his face, it had been such a long night. Kaikaina Grif had gotten better in a few days, yet she rarely left her brother’s side anymore. The two of them becoming close and dependent on one another since their mother was not home very often.

\---

The neighbours would chip in when they could, feeding the Grif children on occasion and giving them old toys and clothes. The neighborhood kids would tease them constantly about their living situation, Grif didn't really understand, his mother worked a lot, didn't their parents work too? It wasn't until he was older that he recognized that it was pity in the parents' eyes, eventually, he stopped accepting help from them.

Dexter could remember walking along the beach with Kai's hand in his, barefoot and wondering when mum was going to be home. The neighbourhood kids were always cruel to the two of them and Grif more often than not would come home with bruises from fighting with them. Their mother would tell Dexter that violence wasn't the answer, that his father wouldn't want him to fight, Grif didn't really care, his father wasn't around to discipline him anyway. Kaikaina asked about their father a lot, what he was like, but Dex never had any answers for her. He would lie when he could, make up stories that made their father seem like a hero and that one day maybe he would come home. The stories would simply end up depressing Dexter and eventually he refused to answer, sometimes even muttering that their father was an asshole. Grif had abandoned any idea that their father would come home and it was about time his sister saw the truth as well.

\---

When Dexter turned ten he carried little Kaikaina Grif to the hospital. They had been playing in the backyard, climbing trees on his insistence and his sister had fallen, the deafening crack still haunted him to this day. Kai was happy to have everyone sign her cast, have her brother draw a pony on it for her. She was the centre of attention and their mum had been home for a few days after that incident. They had seemed like a normal family for awhile, their mother cooking, kids being kids. Of course though Dexter had gotten into trouble.

"You have to look after your little sister, Dex!"

"I was!"

"I know I'm not home a lot, I have to work to provide for this family! You have to keep Kaikaina safe, she needs you."

"You can't keep a job for very long! It's probably the beard, maybe you should think about shaving ma!"

That was the first time that his mother had struck him. Don't get him wrong, Dexter had been disciplined as a child, but never had his mother slap him across the face with such hatred in her eyes. He had retreated to his shared room, Kai looking worried as she snuggled into his side on the bed. Dex had always suspected that his mother resented him, he looked nothing like her, and everyone use to tell him how much he looked like his father. Slightly lighter hair, golden eyes, thick lashes and much lighter skin than his mother and sister. He hated his father more than ever in that instant as his hand slowly rubbed soothing circles on Kai's back, trying to get her to calm down and relax. Dexter Grif did not cry that night.

\---

Their mother had found another job, working as a waitress, the pay wasn't good but both Grif children could frequent the little diner and get a free feed when needed. It was one of those themed restaurants, designed to pull in the tourists, Dexter really hated them, they gawked at the locals as if they were something of a rarity and expected the natives to entertain them.

Dexter could remember seeing kids come and go, some of them would visit the restaurant every day while they were on holidays. Those type of tourists were tolerable, Dex and Kai would spend their time playing with the kids and showing off their knowledge of the island. It was fun and he got to meet some interesting characters, his favourite had to of been a little red haired boy, not much older than himself with skin as pale as winter and freckles dotting his sunburnt face. The three of them had explored the beach while his parents had lunch, Dex had been telling stories of shark attacks that had freaked the other boy out before he had gone running back to his father. They hadn't returned to the restaurant.

Dexter Grif was thirteen when a few of his friends and him had decided to start a band. They would practice in his backyard with Kai clapping and singing along. It kept them reasonably out of trouble and Dex discovered that he had actually liked playing. He had grown up knowing how to play a few songs on the ukulele and he had simply transferred that knowledge to the hand-me-down guitar. Kai had even wanted to learn, so every night after he would cook dinner and clean up he would teach her a few cords.

"Can you teach me Aloha 'oe?"

"I guess. Why? that song is so stereotypical."

"I like it."

"Okay."

\---

When Dexter turned fifteen he knew his sister was going to cause him a lot of trouble. She was only ten and already she was growing up to be a beautiful young girl. He just knew he was going to have to beat up guys to keep her safe. Kai also wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, she meant well but she had no filter, words would tumble from her mouth. Some of them were words a ten year old shouldn't know, Dexter blames himself completely for that. He wasn't shaping up to be a good role model for Kai, but then again he had never really had one himself.

They were walking home from school lazily one day, Kai was skipping by his side as he snacked on some chips and offering the packet to her every other mouthful.

"When's mum coming home?"

"I dunno. She's working you know that."

"Why does she cry at night?"

Dexter faulted slightly while walking. He didn't know Kai could hear their mother when she would lock herself in her room and cry late into the night. Dex knew his mother had it hard, she was always yelling and screaming at him to do better, to look after the house, to protect Kai. There were sometimes when he would wonder if she would think he was as useless as their father had been, her eyes would be so filled with hatred and sadness when she looked at him. Dexter couldn't take it.

"She's just over worked."

"I think she misses dad."

"Well then she's an idiot, that asshole didn't do anything for us let alone her."

"Dex! He's family too."

"You are my family, not whatever fucked up thing we have under our roof."

The rest of the trip was uncomfortable silence with the odd crunching of chips in between.

\---

Seventeen, seventeen years of his life had been as close to normal as Dexter Grif was ever going to get. He was seventeen when his mother came home, she seemed oddly happy, almost pleasant to him as she bustled around the kitchen cooking poi and pineapple chicken while humming an unknown tune under her breath. Dex knew this was how family life was suppose to be, not what ever fucked up thing they had before. It put him a little on edge though, he was sitting at the dinning room table with Kai and helping her with her home work. Their mother approached them, told Kai to go to her room she needed to speak with Dexter alone. He knew something was definitely wrong now, he kept the dinning room table between them, Dex was not scared.

"I need you to be strong now, I need you to look after Kai."

"I always do. Why do you care now?"

"I've always cared Dexter, don't you dare think that I don't! I work hard for this family."

"You're never home! Kai asks about you all the time. She needs her mum."

"And what about you?"

"I gave up on you a long time ago." Dexter refused to say that he flinched when his mother took a step forward. She must of read his fear as she seemed to force herself to take a deep breath and calm herself down.

"I got a new job. I'm not going to be home for awhile."

"What? Where? Why?"

"It's good money Dex, I'll send you some when I get paid, but I'll be traveling all the time with the circus. You two can't come with me."

"You're leaving?"

"Tonight, yes."

"What about Kai? What about me? What are we suppose to do?"

"You're seventeen now Dex, surely you can figure it out."

It was then that Dexter Grif noticed the small suitcase and it finally dawned on him that this was real, his mum was leaving. He couldn't understand why he was so upset, she was never really around anyway, he just wanted a mother and she was abandoning them, just like their father had. Golden eyes watched as she clutched the suitcase, determination in her eyes as she headed for the door.

"What about Kai, what bout me!?" His mother faulted, her sad look glancing towards her son. "We're suppose to be a family!"

"This family has been broken for a long time Dexter."

"And you're just helping it along. Why?"

"I just, can't. One day you'll understand. Please look after my little girl." Dexter had watched her leave, the coldness in his heart evident when the door slammed in his face. He had lost it after that, throwing things around like a child chucking a tantrum, swearing and sneering at anything that had belonged to their mother. It was only when Kai had emerged from the bedroom and clung to his back in a caring embrace did Dexter stop.

"It'll be ok Dex, just you and me like old times." He tried to smile, really he did but when gold eyes settled on the bills near the phone, his gut just dropped.

"Things are different now Kai."

"We're a broken family, aren't we?"

"No... Ok, maybe we are... We'll be okay. I promise."

He could feel Kai's shuddering breath as she cried silently into his shoulder. Things were going to be difficult, but Dexter was going to make things work, he was going to make sure Kai would be alright. But really she didn't have anything to worry about, Dex was going to look after her, he was going to make sure that everything would flow smoothly.

"Sometimes you try your hardest, but things don’t work out the way you want them to, Kai. Sometimes things have to change, and maybe sometimes, they’re for the better."

"So mum's never coming back right?"

"I don't think so."

"We'll be ok. Grif's are pretty sturdy."

Kai was right. They'll be ok. First step a job.

\---

Over the next few weeks Dexter Grif dropped out of school, he had gotten a job driving tourists around during the day and working at the same restaurant his mum had worked at in the afternoon. He made sure to be home for Kai to make dinner, help her with her homework and put her to bed. He had cleared out his mum's room, thrown out all her crap and claimed it as his own. It had felt weird at night not being able to hear his sister's soft snoring at first but eventually he would fall asleep from sheer exhaustion. On days that Dexter wasn't working he would semi clean the house before collapsing to have a nap and eat junk food. Down time became precious to him, he just didn't seem to get it very often.

Soon child services had rocked up on their door, they had heard about their mother leaving and wanted to check in with Kai. Dexter had been nervous, he had to show that he could take care of his younger sister, he had talked them through a normal day for him and Kai. He had shown them his rough earnings for a week and they had even spoken to Kai about the way he was treating her. That made Dexter's blood boil, they thought he has abusing Kai? He looked after her better than her own fucking mother did. Child services would be checking in from time to time, just another weight on his shoulders.

Dex was eighteen when little Kaikaina Grif came home from her friend's house almost on the verge of tears. She had run over to his slouched form on the couch and wrapped her arms around his neck hiccuping between her sobs. It took fifteen minutes to calm her down, between her tears and her telling him she had done something bad, Dex had no idea exactly what she had done. Eventually she quietened down and told him everything, her face flushed with embarrassment. Turns out she hadn't done anything wrong at all.

"It's normal Kai."

"Normal? It's normal for me to be fucking bleeding?"

"Yeah all girls go through it. Didn't school teach you any of this?"

"Maybe... I don't pay attention."

"Fucking shocker." Dexter deadpanned.

"So I'm not going to die?"

"Nah. Go have a hot shower and put on some clean clothes. I'll run up to the store and get you what ya need."

Dexter had no idea what Kai needed. Well he had an idea, he wasn't a fucking idiot but he had no idea there were so many types. Mini, regular, super, wings, night time, discreet; they were all so fucking expensive too! Eventually he had to bite the bullet and approach the cute girl at the counter, her name tag read Sam.

"Having trouble finding something?"

"Well yes and no. I need sanity stuff for a girl but I didn't know there were so many." Sam giggled and left the check out to walk with him to the isle.

"First time buyer huh? For your girlfriend?"

"Nah my sister, she got them today."

"Oh, ok. Hmm, you'll need minis for sure then, grab some night time pads as well as everyday, she might not be comfortable with tampons at first. Oh and you would be an idiot if you go home without any chocolate."

"Why?"

"Just trust me."

Grif trusted her, so he bought the chocolate and sanitary items, paying with what little cash he earned and shoving the entire contents into a plastic bag, he thanked Sam for all her help before leaving to rush back home.

The shower was still running when he walked in the door, he called out to Kai and the water immediately shut off. He approached the bathroom, knocking slightly before opening the door ajar, and thrusting the plastic bag of items to her through the crack. Surely Kai could read the instructions and figure it out on her own. He heard a muffled thanks and that was all he needed to retreat back into the lounge room. Dexter picked up his guitar, tuning it before slow music started filling the small house, his singing voice was soft.

"One fond embrace. A ho`i a`e au. Until we meet again." His voice faded out along with the soft strumming as Kai entered and sat down next to him on the couch.

"Thanks. I think I'm ok now."

"That's good."

"The chocolates a nice touch." Kai snapped off a few pieces and offered them to him watching as her brother devoured them greedily. She had noticed since mum left that he was getting slightly chubby, and there were always dark circles present under his golden eyes. "Oh I also think this is for you." She laid the receipt on his lap and chuckled at his confused look. "I'm pretty sure Sam doesn't want me to call them."

Oh... Oh!

\---

Sam was his first girlfriend and it wasn't until about three months into the relationship that she told him she was a transgendered woman. Dexter Grif thought that might of weirded him out, but in the end she was still the same person and he understood that the gender she identified with was important to her. She was around constantly when either of them weren't working or Sam was at school and she helped him look after Kai on occasion. She was really understanding when it came to his family, she knew that he needed to work to pay the bills, she didn't even harass Grif about his gaining weight and very new smoking habit.

Three months later, Dexter was waiting for Kai at the bus stop, he had managed to get off work early so he could meet her. Every now and then he liked to surprise his sister like this, generally it meant he had plans with Sam later and wanted to make sure Kai had dinner and had finished her homework before he would even think about going out. When his sister stepped off the bus he knew something was wrong. Her eyes were rimmed red and her cheeks were wet with fresh tears, she immediately ran into his arms and sobbed about how sorry she was. No more than a few seconds later a boy got off the bus, maybe a year or two younger than himself. He called Kai a slut and Dexter did not hesitate to punch the boy in the face, the blood rushing from the other's nose was very satisfying. Kai had told him what happened and that she was late, his plans with Sam cancelled as he took his sister to the clinic for the first time.

\---

When Dexter turned nineteen he had broken up with Sam, it had been a mutual thing really, he just didn't have the time to spend with her that she deserved. They had been awkward at first, but eventually they had settled into a pseudo friendship that was filled with more name calling than was probably necessary. Kai had seemed upset about this but eventually she had gotten over it too and the Grif family life went back to normal.

"Hey did you ever sleep with Sam?"

"Yeah... Why?"

"Well you know cause she had a..."

"What's your point?"

"Does this make you gay?"

"No."

"Oh."

"Why?"

"Well there's this girl at my school and she's kinda hot and we've been hanging out. I really really like her. Does that mean I'm gay?"

"Do you like guys too?"

"Yeah."

"Then no. You're bisexual, or pansexual. It's normal. Just please use protection ok Kai?"

"Even with Amy?"

"Well you can hold someone's hand and get pregnant so I'm going to say yes."

"Ok."

Dexter Grif took his sister to the clinic another two times before she was brave enough to go by herself. She hated telling him, she hated seeing the disappointment on his face and the guilt in his eyes. Kai knew her brother blamed himself for how she turned out and the less he knew about her life the better. She had started to drift away from her brother, she would hang out with friends while Dex would stay at home. He had lost most of his friendships when he started working two jobs and supporting Kai full time, he just hadn't had time to hang out and his younger sister felt oddly responsible for that.

\---

When Dexter turned twenty one there was nothing really to celebrate, he had been acting like an adult for years now and the fact that he could legally drink was not very thrilling when he had been drinking for years at home. Another reason to not celebrate was the attack on Reach by the covenant. Earth's armies had been deployed to several stations across the galaxy and they were calling for new recruits all the time. Young impressionable idiots who probably had daddy issues rushed to sign up so they could kill some aliens. Dexter scoffed, nothing was as it seemed, he knew that all too well, he had been lying to everyone for years that he and Kai were just fine.

The battle with the Covenant didn't seem to be slowing down, the army needed more recruits but they just weren't getting the numbers for sign ups that they had before. That's when the compulsory draft came in. Names from all across the globe would be randomly selected and those that were chosen would receive mandatory six months training before joining the battlefield. That's when Dexter Grif found out he had the worst luck in the world, not only was his name drawn fucking first but they had also abandoned the compulsory draft minutes after. He of course was still forced to join. It had become known as the 'One man draft'. Mother fuckers.

To say he took it kindly would of been a lie. Dexter had broken several things around their home, he had sworn up a storm as he downed a bottle of Jack. He had slurred and sniffed on the couch smoking almost an entire packet of cigarettes and eating an entire packet of Oreos. He had passed out in front of the tv with the broadcast still blaring, Kai had curled up into his side and cried the entire time. What was she going to do now? She hadn't even finished school yet and cheques from their mother had long since stopped.

Dexter had assured her everything was going to be alright that he had squirreled away enough money for her to live on. The army was also going to pay him and he promised to put it straight into an account for her to access. He was to be shipped off to basic training tomorrow and somehow it wasn't enough time to get his affairs in order let alone say good bye. He was worried about his sister, he didn't know what she was going to do. He hoped she would at least finish school before doing something stupid but he knew that was probably asking too much. That night they spent all their time together, drinking in the lounge room and sharing stories about their child hood.

"Kai, we have to uh..."

"Don't worry. You're going to be okay. We're Grifs, we're sturdy."

"Come here." Dexter sighed, signaling for Kai to sit closer to him as he threw his arms around her in a tight embrace. He watched Kai reach for the old acoustic guitar and offer it to him.

"One more time Dex, please?"

He was a little bit rusty, but with some tuning and familiar cords, Dexter was picking up his skill as if he had never stopped.

"Aloha 'oe, aloha 'oe. E ke onaona noho i ka lipo. One fond embrace, a ho'i a'e au. Until we meet again."

Kai was crying, clinging to him on the couch as the tune faded into the little home that was going to seem so much emptier when Dex left. They passed out on the couch the alarm in the morning blaring all too soon. Against his wishes, Kaikaina had come with him to the airport, she had crushed his ribs in a tight hug and ordered him to come home safely. She could still see the sadness and anger in Dexter's eyes as he was forced to let her go and step onto the Pelican that would take him away for god knows how long. She would be alright though, Kaikaina Grif was resilient and she was going to do her family proud.

\---

Basic training fucking sucked. Dexter Grif was not athletic, he had let himself go since his mother had left and he had a disregard for authority. The Captains hated him, the Privates as well thought he was lazy, he wasn't exactly treated fairly. Dex didn't really care, he knew that these serious soldiers were annoyed with his lack of participation. It was hard to give a shit about a cause you wanted nothing to do with. Grif hated this army so much, he just wanted to be back home, in Hawaii with his sister and continue life as normal. He would be lying if he said he wasn't worried about her.

It was no shock when training was over and Grif was still only just an adult that he was shipped out to Blood Gulch. A box canyon in the middle of no where with an insane Sargent and a guy who was the exact opposite to everything Grif was. This was it, this was his life? The army had at least promised the chance to shoot some aliens, instead he was stuck here with no way out fighting a bunch of Blue guys that seemed as disinterested in the army as he was. His first day here and he had already been lectured that his armour wasn't red, orange was close enough right? Man Private Dick Simmons was a stickler for details, plus the guy had his head so far up Sarge's ass Grif was unsure who was who at this point. Man that guy had some serious daddy issues. It had only taken twelve hours for his new CO to discover how lazy Grif was, this escalated swiftly into death threats that the Hawaiian was sure were not a joke. It soon became routine for him to avoid Sarge unless called upon, man Blood Gulch was becoming one fucking boring place to live in.

Dexter Grif was forced to patrol with Private kiss ass and considering there was no one else in this fucking canyon to talk to, Dick soon became his only output for conversation. The other man at first gave him the cold shoulder, brushing him off whenever he could, but eventually through lack of giving up and Grif needing someone to complain too, Dick Simmons would engage in conversation. It was a weird relationship at best, Grif was sure the other soldier hated his guts, but they would still patrol together, they would still talk and bicker which seemed to drive their CO fucking nuts. Perfect. Maybe Dex could get discharged from this boring bloody army.

\---

When Dexter Grif turned twenty two he was fucking miserable, he was picturing Hawaii, sitting on the beach and having drinks with his sister. Oh god she would be almost seventeen now and he didn't know when he would celebrate her birthday again. He hoped she was looking after herself, and staying in school. Being in Blood Gulch on his birthday was way worse than being shot at by those idiot Blues. Simmons was being an absolute asshole, Grif knew he was to blame, he had switched the other soldier's shampoo out for honey last night and the results had been fucking hilarious. After what seemed like hours of bitching, Private kiss ass had practically thrown a hissy fit and stormed out. Oh well no loss there. Grif had decided if he was going to be miserable on his birthday he might as well be drunk. He had found out a few weeks ago that hard liquor was included in some supply drops, after scavenging around the base for hours, Dex had finally found where Sarge had hidden it. Drinking an entire bottle of vodka was probably not the smartest thing, leaving the evidence laying around was definitely stupid, but admitting to Sarge that he was drunk off his ass was down right idiotic. To say Sarge was angry was an understatement.

The enraged CO had made Grif, still stumbling and slurring, run laps around the base, he would stop the lazy soldier every now and then to insist on push ups or even burpies. After two _'girly laps'_ , Grif had no idea what they were but he knew they were making him nauseas, he had to stop. Sarge was yelling at him to continue, Lopez was staring at him unimpressed and he could hear Simmons sniggering at him slightly. Ten push ups and another two laps later, Grif was removing his helmet and throwing up onto the parched soil by his CO's feet.

"You're a disgrace soldier! You make me sick! Can't even do basic training exercises you lazy bastard."

"Come on Sarge." Grif hiccuped slightly as he wiped the residue bile from his lips. "It's not that I'm lazy, I'm just drunk."

"That does not make this situation better Private! Now come on fatty, keep movin'!"

Dexter Grif grumbled as he staggered to his feet muttering about girly laps. This was it, this was where he was going to die. In a box canyon with soldiers that hated him and oh god he was never going to see Kai again! He would be lying if he said the thought didn't bring tears to his stinging eyes, and by the time he had looped around to Sarge again, the disgruntled commander was not impressed.

"What are you doing nancy? Boys don't cry! Get up and keep moving, that'll teach your sorry ass to drink my god damn liquor."

"Sarge I-"

"Enough! Come on Grif, move it!"

"But Sarge-"

"No buts soldier. Quit ya crying and run those laps sissy."

Grif sighed, a soft hiccup escaping his lips, the alcohol mixed with his sudden depressive thoughts were causing tears to stream freely from his eyes now. His face stained with sweat and what was possibly still vomit in his stubble, he was sure he was a sight to behold. The army fucking sucked, and yeah Dex knew he had brought this on himself, but a fucking bullet to the head from a dirty Blue sounded good right about now. Too bad they had terrible fucking aim. After another lap Dexter practically collapsed at his CO's feet, his breathing ragged and Sarge's threats falling on deaf ears. After what seemed like hours, but it couldn't of been more than a few minutes, Private Dexter Grif was fucking defeated.

"Hey uh Sarge. I think he's had enough."

"Shut up Simmons!"

Silence fell in the canyon, Dexter's stinging eyes were focused on the maroon soldier, his breaths short and raspy as his brain tried to connect to what had happened. Sarge had been yelling at him, telling him he was lazy and worthless and that he would amount to nothing, probably all true, but Dick Simmons had silenced the nasty words and right now he was Grif's hero. Sarge stormed off, leaving the mess that was Dexter for the kiss ass to clean up. The last thing he had ever expected was for Dick to close the distance between them, heft his drunken ass up, clutch his orange helmet in the other hand and guide him into the base. The fluorescent lights in the bathroom flickered to life and Grif groaned at the artificial brightness, Dick sat him down on one of the benches by the lockers and started undoing the clasps in his armour.

"What are you doing?"

"You're covered in your own vomit fat ass! Stop struggling, I'm going to throw you in the shower, not take advantage of you. Trust me, you're not my type."

"Come on Dick, I'm everyone's type."

"Shut up Grif."

He sat still as every little piece of armour was discarded and he was practically dragged under the luke warm water, Simmons swearing slightly as he too got wet. He of course declined Grif's joking invitation to join him. As Dexter sat naked, leaning against the cold tiles, tears began to mix with the water, he hoped Simmons couldn't see, but if the other soldier did, he kept silent. His life was fucked, he was twenty two and he couldn't even get drunk without making a complete fucking fool of himself.

"Hey Simmons?"

"What?"

"Thanks... Ya know for sticking up for me."

"Yeah whatever."

Silence fell between them, enough time for the maroon soldier to turn off the water, help Dexter to his feet and throw a large scratchy towel around his shoulders. Grif dripped dry for a few minutes, unsteady on his feet from the alcohol and the amount of exercise he had been forced to endure, but eventually he slowly began to dry himself as Simmons fetched him fatigues.

"Why'd you do it?"

"Why'd I stick up for you?"

"Yeah..."

"Because you look fucking defeated, it takes some seriously depressing thoughts to be able to drink like that. I should know."

"Yeah, right." Oh no, they were heading into dangerous territory now, deep and meaningful conversations were not Grif's forte. Abort, abort!

Well throwing up in the drain of the shower was probably a good start. Simmons cleaned him up again, dressed him in his fatigues and escorted his fat ass to his cot. He stayed for awhile, listening to Grif ramble about how this was the worst birthday ever before satisfied that he wasn't going to asphyxiate in his sleep.

"Hey Simmons?"

"What now?"

"Seriously... Thanks."

"You are so gay."

"Shut up."

"Yeah whatever. Happy birthday fat ass."

\---

Dexter was unsure when it happened, but sometime after his twenty third birthday, he had began to see Simmons in a different light. The guy wasn't that bad, in fact he would go as far as to call him a friend. They were always together now, talking and bickering, laughing and joking, arguing and swearing. It made Grif's heart swell with an emotion he hadn't felt in a long time but he definitely hadn't forgotten. This stupid, kiss ass had managed to crawl his way under Dexter's uncaring exterior and nestle himself in a place that only Kai had managed to earn. Mother fucker. Blood Gulch had never really had anything to offer Grif and he had only spoken to Simmons because he cared for his life too much to risk talking to Sarge. But now that he could say that the maroon soldier was his friend, fuck maybe even his best friend, that terrified Dexter slightly.

For a few days Grif avoided Simmons, concerned about his little epiphany regarding his newly discovered love for the kiss ass. He just needed some time to breathe, some time to figure out whether his feelings were just some stupid crush,(it has been awhile) or whether it went much deeper. So here he was, Dexter Grif, helmet held in his lap as the stifling hot air of Blood Gulch whipped his untidy hair around his chubby features. His eyes were closed, enjoying the warmth on his tanned skin as he listened to the footsteps tentatively approach.

"What's up kiss ass?"

"Looking for you tubby... What are you doing up here?"

"Enjoying the view."

"Care for some company."

"Sure." Grif, eyes still closed, listened as Simmons perched beside him, the maroon soldier's thigh brushing against his own before a soft clinking noise drew Dex's attention. He looked over and couldn't help the smile that broke his tanned features as Dick offered him a beer. He grasped it and was overjoyed when he realised that it was cold, and Simmons had brought more than one! "What's the occasion?"

"Your birthday. Sorry we couldn't do it sooner but Sarge has been hell lately."

"How do you know it was my birthday?"

"Your personnel file, idiot. Everyone has access to them via the HUD."

"We do?"

"Eugh. Yes! Plus I remember from last year."

"Man that was embarrassing."

"Yeah."

"So when's yours?"

"... Your HUDs not calibrated is it?"

"No.."

"I'll check it out later, idiot."

"Thanks Simmons."

Silence settled between them, Grif used this time to pop the cap off his bottle using his teeth, much to Simmons disgust, and take a huge gulp of the chilled beer. The only thing this moment was missing was a cigarette but he had left his packet down in his bunk and there was no way in hell Grif was climbing down the base just to come back up. He watched as Simmons removed his own helmet so he too could drink the beers provided. Dex always gave the red head shit about being a nerd but boy could he put away almost as much beer as Grif could, kind of impressive. They sat in companionable silence for what seemed like hours, for all Grif knew it could of been, it's not like his clock worked anyway. Eventually though he spoke up, whether it was the alcohol or the fact that Simmons was his best friend, Grif felt much more bold today than he had ever felt in his life.

"Thanks man..."

"Happy Birthday asshole."

"That means a lot coming from you." Simmons laughed and Dex frowned, "no I really mean it. You're the only good thing in my life at the moment, this god damn canyon is sucking the life out of me, so it's nice... It's nice to know that I can count on someone ya know?"

"Are you drunk?"

"No! Please off one beer? I'm not a fucking lightweight." Dexter laughed before he tossed the empty bottle aside and shifted slightly so he could see Simmons better. Their knees were touching now and the maroon soldier had gone quite pinkish around the tops of his ears. "Seriously though Simmons I care for you."

"You do?"

"Yeah," Dexter corrected. "You're like my family."

Grif watched as Simmons let the smallest of smiles break his pale features. His gloved hand reached out to rest on Dex's opposite shoulder, as he proceeded to drink the rest of his beer. The silence was overwhelming and eventually Grif broke it by simply leaning against Dick's armored side and he let out a small contented sigh.

Dexter Grif had never had much of a family, his father had left when he was five and his sister was born. He had practically raised her while their mother looked for work. Eventually, she too had abandoned them for the circus when he was seventeen, the cheques in the mail long since stopped when Dexter was nineteen. When he had legally become an adult he too had left his sister back in Hawaii to care for herself, a day didn't go by that he wasn't worried about her. But here, in Blood Gulch, after his twenty third birthday, Dexter Grif knew that he may of found someone he could call his family, someone who understood his faults and still cared for him. Someone that Dexter would be happy to take back to Hawaii and introduce to his sister. Dick Simmons still may not get the significance of it yet, but he was Grif's family and there was no way he was going to get rid of the orange soldier now.

"Hey."

"Yeah?"

"You ever wonder why we're here?"

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Red vs Blue fic, please let me know what you think. I have more in the works and to be truthful most of them will revolve around Grimmons because they are my OTP. I only wish to improve so pointers will be very helpful.


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